Grilled Zucchini Quinoa Salad

I’ve been cooking vegan an awful lot lately. No real reason why — mostly accidental. This salad happens to be vegan, but don’t let that scare you — it would be the perfect accompaniment to some grilled chicken or steak or shrimp or whatever.

The vegetables can be cooked on an outdoor grill, a grill pan or a George Foreman type grill. If you have none of these, that’s ok too. Just sear the vegetables in a hot pan or roast them in the oven. I have a 2-burner cast iron grill pan that I used.

Preheat the grill pan over medium heat
Brush one side of the zucchini and onions with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper
Place oiled side down on the grill pan
Brush the side that is now facing up with olive oil and sprinkle with more salt and pepper
Cook until dark grill marks form — 5-7 minutes
Flip and cook until dark grill marks form on the other side — 5-7 minutes
Remove the zucchini and onion from the grill
Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise and then chop it into pieces roughly 1/2″ wide
Cut the onion in half one way and then in half the other way, resulting in quarter pieces
If using ears of corn, brush them with oil and place them on the grill at the same time as the zucchini and onions. Once they’re done cooking just cut the kernels off the ear.
If using frozen corn, after you remove the zucchini, toss them on the grill pan and cook them 2-3 minutes
Toss everything together and serve